Flight of the Fox
by WritingForMuffins
Summary: It has been eight years since the Kyuubi attack, and a team of ANBU had been called to investigate a base believed to belong to Orochimaru. What the team didn't expect was for ANBU Dog to find the missing Kyuubi container. The damage is permanent, and Naruto is left with a few new features. How will he cope being the first winged Shinobi? No pairing decided.
1. Chapter 1

**Thanks for clicking, y'all! **

**Because there will never be an end to these plot bunnies. Okay, so, I got this idea while I was reading Maximum Ride, a series by James Patterson (was anyone else that knows what I'm talking about thoroughly **_**disgusted**_** with the last book?) and BOOM. Naruto with wings was born. The hardest part was deciding how to hide his new appendages, and I hope that was explained well in here. This will feature basic ideas from Maximum Ride, as well as the Naruto characters we all know and love.**

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DISCLAIMER

I do not own Naruto or Maximum Ride, they belong to their respective owners. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy!

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Flight of the Fox

It had been only days after the Kyuubi attack that tragedy once again struck the village. It would never be noted, though, as many wouldn't consider the event as anything close to one. Only a select few would even acknowledge what had happened, and ever less would do something about it.

Quietly, a group of men slithered quietly into the Konoha Orphanage, golden eyes flickering slightly in the darkness. The workers had gone home, leaving just the matron, who was sleeping soundly in her own ward. The apparent leader sent his troops to scavenge, while he moved ahead by himself. The man's trained ears heard the wail of a small child, which he decided to follow.

The man himself was a scientist, and had recently run low on experiments. With the defenses of his home village so low at the moment, it was incredibly easy to sneak past their pitiful defenses. Besides, who would notice if a few orphans went missing? With the pandemonium going on right now, he doubted the matron even would.

In one of the farthest rooms, a lone crib stood by itself. The baby wailing inside it couldn't have been more than a few days old, his bright blue eyes shut. The man took notice of the blond hair and whiskers, and with a sharp grin, picked up the fussy child. If this was who he thought it was…

'_Oh, Sensei. Looks like I win this round, hm?'_

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8 years later, a squad of ANBU ran through the halls of a dark base, throwing whatever caution they had left to the wind. Konoha had received information on Orochimaru, and as a precaution, sent one of their best teams to scope around. What they found was worse than they had imagined; bodies lay everywhere, thrown haphazardly in cages and crates. The smell of blood and despair hung to every room like a shroud, giving the whole base a feeling of gloom and desperation. Even for an elite Shinobi, the place was sickening.

Luckily for the ANBU, the resident snake seemed to be out at the moment, making the break-in process much easier than it could have been. They split up, each taking a set of rooms to scavenge. A certain ninja in a dog mask creaked a rickety wooden door open a crack, walking in carefully. Test tubes and computers littered the walls, various body parts and samples in arranged vials. Yet, the sight at the end of the room was what sickened him the most. On a table, a small child had been strapped down, his body frail and weak. His blond hair had seen better days, and was almost brown from the dirt caked to the strands. The ANBU might not have even noticed the boy, had it not been for the fact of the whisker marks adjourning each cheek; he would never forget them, despite the fact it had been eight years. Heck, he had been the one to put the child, then baby, safely in the crib, shooting death glares at the matron. And now…

Whatever the twisted Sannin had done would most likely scar the boy for life. How the man had even managed something like this was unimaginable, but as he picked up the frail child, his fears were realized. On his neck was one of Orochimaru's signature curse seals, the black ink stained in the boys skin. Three swirls rotated in a circle, and what looked to be feathers extended from the end of the spirals. Even worse, the boy seemed to have gained some extra appendages.

A set of wings branched out from his back, the feathers just as dirty as the rest of the child. They were folded neatly against his back, and were a beautiful dark blue color, reminding the dog ninja of a blue jay. The ANBU held the boy gingerly, not wanting to disturb his rest. Whatever had been done to him here was horrifying, and to have been able to do something like this to a child…

Quietly, he picked up whatever notes had been left around, finding a bag to put them in for later use. With the boy in one arm, he retrieved most of the room's contents, before shutting the door behind him. Wanting to get the child to safety, he decided to meet the rest of the group outside. Only one thought sped through his mind, and if anyone had looked closely enough, they would have noticed tears falling from behind the dog mask.

'_Minato-Sensei, Kushina-Nee… How did I let this happen?'_

The ANBU brought the boy back to Konoha, ignoring the looks of interest from his team. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them, as far as he was concerned.

Each ANBU member had received their own set of information, and each stood in the Hokage office, presenting the files and knowledge they had found. There was everything from books, to journals, to notes, to what looked to be shopping lists. The Third filed every bit of it away, dismissing the ANBU one by one. Lastly, it was ANBU Dog's turn, and he walked in quietly. What surprised the Hokage the most was the sleeping child in Dog's arms, still as filthy as he had been when the ANBU found him. Hiruzen's eyes widened as he noticed the whisker marks on the boy, and quickly asked the Shinobi to explain. The ANBU did, clutching onto the boy tightly all the while. As he finished, they both departed for the hospital, finding the child a safe room, one where he could recover in peace.

If he ever did, recover, that is.

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For what felt to be the thousandth time, the boy awoke from a drug induced slumber. It wasn't odd, not by any account, seeing it was common for him to be tested on. He was one of Orochimaru's favorites, after all. Joy.

And yet, instead of his own cell located in the deeper depths of the lab, he was in a stark white room. The boy even had a bed and new clothes, ones that fit, rather than what he was normally given to wear. And that terrified him. None of the test subjects were allowed to leave the lab, and they wouldn't get far in the first place. All the subjects had hoped for years that someone would rescue them, but none believed it was possible.

But, were these people friend or foe? If he had been rescued, then they had seen his wings. He tested them experimentally, flexing them outwards, and refolding them behind his back. He had never seen the feathers such a clean, bright color and even his fingernails had been cleansed and clipped to a shorter length. Whoever had rescued him either really cared, or wanted something. He was leaning towards the latter.

The boy looked up as he heard a knock on the door, and watched as an elderly man walked in, a wrinkly smile on his kind face. His long robes glided across the floor, and an aging hand reached up to take off the cone shaped hat.

"I'm glad you're awake, Naruto-Kun." The man began, giving him another smile. "My name is Hiruzen, and I am the leader of this village."

"Naruto… that's my name?" Odd choice of name, the boy decided. Yet, he supposed it was better than some of the things he had been called. "Why fishcake?"

The man looked surprised, before sitting in one of the chairs beside the bed. "Yes, Uzumaki Naruto. You were born in this village, you know. Before you were kidnapped." Hiruzen watched as the child's face turned to shock and amazement, his blue eyes lighting up in wonder. "Would it be alright if my friend looked you over, Naruto-Kun? I could tell you more about this village if you wish."

Internally, the boy wanted to run away, far from this place. But, at the same time, he wanted to trust the man sitting beside him. Never had he seen or heard about anything that wasn't gossip form the other test subjects. So, he made his decision "No tests, right?" Naruto finally asked, his voice shaking slightly. The leader simply shook his head, and another man joined the in the room as well. This one was younger that the Hokage, but had long white hair that swept across the floor.

For the most part, Naruto had no problems letting the newcomer look him over. He was too engrossed in the stories of the Hokage and ninja of the village to care what Jiraiya was doing (he had been told that man worked with seals, which was why he was looking at his.). He heard about each Hokage and their demise, the beginning of the villages, and how Konoha worked. By the time Jiraiya was done looking at the curse seal, he moved to the one on Naruto's stomach, finding it perfectly intact.

"Kid, have you ever had any problems with this thing?" Jiraiya finally gestured to the mark on the boy's neck, causing Naruto to flinch, one of his hands gravitating towards it.

"No, but not many people had them, only me and some other kids…" Naruto trailed off, and Jiraiya seemed to accept that answer.

"Well, I'm done, but we need to figure out what to do with those." The sage gestured to the appendages folded neatly against Naruto's back, the deep blue feathers shining in the bright lighting of the hospital room. Naruto simply looked back and forth between the older men, a quizzical look on his face.

"Why, is there something wrong with them?" The boy finally asked, and the men shared a glance.

"Naruto-Kun, you are the only person to have wings." The Third answered kindly, but Naruto didn't falter.

"I know that. But why should I have to hide them?"

"They're not natural, Naruto-Kun. People fear what they don't understand."

Naruto seemed to contemplate this for a moment finally sighing. "Alright, but they're kinda obvious. That and they get stiff if I don't use them. Every once in a while one of the scientists would take me to stretch my wings, you know?" Hiruzen seemed to accept this, and Jiraiya pulled out some papers form within the folds of his shirt. Many of them were covered in intricate designs, and the sage calmly asked Naruto to take off his shirt and turn around, spreading his wings out to their full length.

They looked incredibly similar to that of a blue jay, but where built structurally like a hawk. They spread out to 5 feet, easily taller than the boy himself was. The doctors (only the ones that the Third trusted were allowed anywhere close to the boy) had been amazed at the adaptation of the boy's body, most likely caused by 8 years of nothing but constant tests and experiments. Naruto's bones were much lighter than most humans, and were somewhat tougher as well. He was still human, but his body had been altered so that it behaved like that of a bird.

Naruto could feel the ink being applied to his back, shoulder blades, and the tips of his wings. Jiraiya asked him to turn around, the boy complying, and watching as the seal master painted the intricate art. Lines extended form his shoulder blades, reaching over his shoulders themselves and onto the undersides of Naruto's arms. The line eventually connected to circular designs drawn on his palms, connecting the whole seal array; the boy was glad, too. If he had to sit still any longer, he would have freaked.

With one last look over, Jiraiya pulled his hands together over Naruto's back, sending his chakra into the ink. Naruto winced at the crawling feeling that spread as the ink seeped under his skin, the lines growing a faint blue. Finally, the feeling was gone, and to the boy's amazement, so where his wings. Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction, and Naruto looked back and forth between the two, as if to silently ask what they had done. Jiraiya sighed, rubbing his hands against his temples.

"Kid, you wouldn't understand, you need to know about chakra-"

"I know about that." Both older men looked at the boy in wonder. "We only got to the basics, though." The Third seemed to contemplate something, before staring Naruto dead in the eyes.

"Naruto-Kun, how would you like to become a ninja?"

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A week later, the Third and Naruto stood in front of the academy building, the blond in much better shape than he had been earlier that week. Instead of a hospital gown, he had a sleeveless navy blue windbreaker with a long sleeve burnt orange shirt underneath. A kunai holster was strapped to his left leg, and he had black standard grade Shinobi pants.

All of his seals had been covered, minus the ones on his palms. But, if anyone asked, Naruto would simply say it was a clan secret. Jiraiya had taught him how to extend his wings, a simple maneuver that really only took some practice to master. It only involved clasping his hands together, palms touching, and sending in the correct amount of chakra. Jiraiya later told the boy the only reason Naruto could unlock them was due to the fact his blood was mixed in with the ink, something he found a bit creepy.

It had taken week to get Naruto ready for the academy, or at least up to the standards the other kids were at. The hardest part had been teaching Naruto how to read; the boy had said that they had no reading material at the base, and none of them had a reason to learn how. So, with the help of a few Chuunin and a certain ANBU, he was at least able to read and write. The history books interested the boy the most, reading about the village and its founding. It also taught him more about the person whose clutches he had been stuck in. Orochimaru was truly a terrifying man, and Naruto was incredibly lucky to have gotten out when he did. Since then, he had become good friends with his savior, the ANBU having taken him out to eat multiple times. Naruto had even gotten an apartment to himself, and would get a monthly stipend given to all orphans living alone. Things really had gotten better.

And now, here they were, standing in front of Naruto's new class. The Third knocked politely, opening the door and smiling politely at the teacher. He was a tall man, with tan skin and chocolate brown eyes. A scar ran vertically along the bridge of his nose, and he seemed to be in the middle of a lecture. The teacher bowed politely, watching as the Hokage strolled into the classroom, Naruto trailing after him.

"Thank you for such short notice, Iruka-Kun." That seemed to be the teacher's name, and the brunette smiled back at the Hokage."Naruto, introduce yourself to your new class.

Quietly, the blond moved to the front of the class, bowing respectfully. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. It's nice to meet you all." Naruto missed the look of shock on Iruka's face, as well as the threatening look from the Hokage, as if daring Iruka to try anything. Instead, Iruka gestured to an empty seat in the back of the class, picking up his textbook once again.

"Rena-Chan, could you let Naruto-Kun know where we are? Now, as I was saying..."

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**Fair warning, this will have no decent update pattern, but you are free to shoot me if you don't get a chapter once a week. Also, the picture was drawn by me, and is Naruto's curse seal.**

**Thank you for all the reviews, views, and faves. :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for such positive feedback, everybody! It really helps.**

**To Kushina81, turtlefan16, and Guest,  
Thanks! :D**

**To Jasmine,  
I totally agree. I believe that they should have had a much better relationship than the one in canon.**

**To my other Guest,  
He won't be with Hinata, as much as I love that pairing. She is much different in my story, due to the fact she didn't meet Naruto till much later. If anything, I don't think I plan on a pairing for this story. You'll just have to wait and see!**

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DISCLAIMER

Think I own Naruto yet? Ha ha, no.

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School, for the most part, was much harder than Naruto imagined it would be. Sure, he had lived what most would call a difficult life, but he had questioned that quite a few times since learning of the new terror named schoolwork. He was used to having free reign, as long as he stayed in the boundaries of his prison, never straying far away from the rest of the prisoners. Staying still was something he had never been good at, after all.

Naruto did have to admit, the people in Konoha were much kinder than what he was used to. Many of them still glared at him, and more than a few were hesitant to let him into establishments. Yet, people like the Hokage and Inu-Nii really made it worthwhile.

The aging Hokage was a very forgiving man, and had done his best to make sure Naruto was comfortable when he first arrived. The boy had been suspicious at first, but Hiruzen had done his best to explain his meanings to the boy. According to the Hokage, Naruto was an incredibly important political piece (for reasons Naruto would have to wait to find out). The man admitted, a bit shamefully, that the village was doing its best to win Naruto over. But, the old man really did care, and had never given up hope that the boy would eventually find his way back to his birth home.

Inu-Nii had been a huge help as well. As the one that rescued him from the clutches of Orochimaru, Naruto would forever be thankful towards him. The ANBU had gotten attached to the blond almost immediately, and helped him with his schoolwork whenever he had the chance. They had almost gotten Naruto up to his correct reading level, and had slowly been approaching the other subjects. The only thing Naruto _didn't_ need catching up in was the ninja subjects. Having been trained to be one of the future Shinobi of Oto, Naruto knew all about chakra. Ninjutsu came to him naturally, and his kenjutsu and taijutsu were nothing to laugh at either.

The Hokage had been worried that Naruto would hold some loyalty to his old 'home', but that didn't seem to be the case. If anything, the boy had missed what had become his pseudo-family, the few that had survived the curse mark along with him. They had trained, eaten, and lived together for as long as Naruto could remember. Those memories had become the foundation for his first goal: saving them. And, if that meant working under the name of Konoha, then so be it. The people here were kind, and he didn't mind living in the cheerful village.

Through his time in the Ninja Academy, Naruto had made some new friends as well. He and Inuzuka Kiba had gotten off to a rocky start, the canine boy calling Naruto 'prey'. Yet, the blond quickly proved him wrong in a spar, earning the others respect. Also, though many would call it an odd friendship, he had become friends with Uchiha Sasuke as well. The last Uchiha had been cold to him at first, but they had soon become rivals. Naruto wasn't as good when it came to academics, but it was never clear who would come out on top in the physical activities. Their rivalry had become something that most tried to steer clear of. His other main friend was Hyuuga Hinata. Naruto had been told the girl used to be quiet kind, but typical Hyuuga training, as well as being a loner, had hardened the heiress. Years of playful jabs from him and Kiba had softened her, of only a little.

For the most part, he was on pretty good terms with the rest of the class. He got along quiet well with Shikamaru and Shino, and Chouji was always willing to share a snack. Naruto even got along well with Sakura and Ino, or at least when he wasn't beating on their beloved Sasuke-Kun.

Years went by, and Naruto grew more accustomed to life in Konoha. He still received his daily glares, and many were still cautious around the teen. But, they would get over it eventually, he supposed.

Today, they bothered him even less than normal. Naruto got up early, watching the sunrise from his small apartment as he did his morning taijutsu kata. He moved through them with practiced ease (stances that had been drilled into his head by Inu-Nii). Quickly, he unleashed the seals that kept in his wings, flexing them a bit to relive his stiff joints. A quick breakfast and a couple minutes later, he was out the door, sprinting to the Academy.

Four years of sparring, tests, and textbooks would soon come to an end, as today was the day of the graduation exam. It was something Naruto would be especially looking forward to, never having been a big fan of classrooms. That, and getting his hiate-ate would be another step towards his goal. Inu-Nii had explained to him how the teams would be chosen, so he had a good idea of where everyone was going. Every Jonin got a pick at their preferred combination, and if an agreement couldn't be made, they would revert back to the old lineup of rookie with dead last, espionage, trackers, and so on. Now, all the students had to do was pass.

As usual, both Hinata and Shino were already in the classroom by the time Naruto arrived. Both sat quietly in their seats, keeping to themselves as usual. Naruto sent a friendly wave in the direction of the Aburame, and a grin at the Hyuuga, taking a seat on the row in front of hers.

Students began to trickle in; Sasuke taking a seat to Naruto's left, greeting him with a typical Uchiha grunt. Kiba, almost late as usual, took the seat on the right, Akamaru giving the blond a hello lick on the chin. Almost everyone had arrived-

"I win this time, Forehead!"

"In your dreams, Pig!"

"Ahem!"

Well, now everyone was here. Sakura and Ino decided to start their daily trade off of insults earlier than normal, standing in the classroom doorway. Iruka and Mizuki, on the other hand, didn't seem to be a big fan of the idea. The death glares from both teachers were enough to send the girls to their seats, albeit a bit sadly at the prospect of not being able to sit next to their beloved 'Sasuke-Kun'. Sighing, Iruka followed them in, Mizuki chuckling behind him. For supposed ninja in training, their students could be quiet childish sometimes. A chorus of 'good morning' rang through the classroom, and Iruka clapped his hands together.

"Alright, you all know what today is, right? Mizuki called, never shifting from his slouched position. Iruka, on the other hand, straightened, picking up a stack of papers from his desk. The whole class quieted, sensing the gravity of the situation.

"After today, many of you will be official ninja of Konoha." The scarred teacher began, shifting his gaze from student to student. "Many of you will be back here next year. And, some of you will never become ninja at all. But know this, from today forward, the easy part is over. Of course-"He was interrupted by a smack on the back from Mizuki, the sliver haired teacher laughing.

"Come on, Iruka. Don't scare them too much." Iruka rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, before holding up the stack of papers.

"But until then, have the first part of the exam!"

The graduation exam consisted of four parts, each part making up for 25 points. The Academy had been completely revamped as of recently, due to the number of special cases wishing to join the ninja forces, such as one Rock Lee. The boy was highly proficient in all subjects, but his lack of chakra prevented him from passing. The change had been prompted by Maito Gai, who had taken a shine to the strong willed student. On the other hand of the spectrum was Naruto, whose vast amounts of chakra kept him from executing some of the simplest jutsu, such as the bunshin.

The first part of the exam, a written test, consisted of the book knowledge the students had learned through their time in the academy. Geography was an easy topic, but Naruto found the math portion a bit more difficult. Politics made up a good portion of the exam as well, such as the reigning Kage, daimyo, and feudal lords. The blond was pretty sure he had gotten at least 17 points out of the possible 25, which was pretty good for his standards.

Once the last test had been handed in, the two Chuunin instructors lead the group outside to the sparring ring. The younger classes, as per tradition, had been brought out to observe the graduating class. While a normal sparring match would be against another student, the exam required a spar against another teacher. Alphabetically ordered as always, Naruto sat near the back of the pack, next to Sasuke.

Student after student tried their best against the instructors, most doing pretty well, all things considered. Some, such as Sakura, were downright horrible. Others, like Kiba and Hinata, had clan specialty on their side. Sadly, Sasuke was up against Iruka, meaning Naruto wouldn't get to fight his favorite teacher. As his name was called, the teen stepped into the ring, bowing politely to the instructor. The man, who Naruto was pretty sure was named Aiko, seemed to be quiet strict. He was fairly nondescript, with slicked back brown hair and a hiate-ate around his forehead. His brown eyes, on the other hand, looked to be quiet cold. Naruto only hoped the man was more strict than prejudiced.

One of the other instructors called to begin, and Naruto moved first, rushing towards the teacher with a cocked back fist. It was easily parried, just as the teen expected it to be. Aiko stopped it with his wrist, pushing Naruto back and aiming a kick to the boy's head. Quickly, Naruto ducked under it, sending an elbow to the teacher's side. Yet, it was simply shrugged off.

Behind him, Naruto could hear his more vocal friends cheering, something he highly appreciated. He was thankful for all the training that Inu-Nii had gave him, something that kept him from getting easily tired. Finally, Iruka called for time, both opponents stopping in place. Naruto took a few moments to regain his breath, finally giving the other ninja hopefuls a grin. He estimated to have gotten at least 20 points, a few better than the previous exam.

The next portion, in Naruto's opinion, was much easier than the first two. Kunai and shuriken were some of a ninja's most important weapons, every academy student having been trained to use them from day one. Naruto, Sasuke, and surprisingly Sakura pulled out at the head of the pack, each getting almost all bull's-eyes. Kiba and Shikamaru sat at the other end, one from not enough practice, and the other from simply not caring. Hinata, Ino, Shino, and Chouji all came out in the middle, each getting more than enough points to pass. Tired and battered, the class headed inside for one last test.

As he waited for his name to be called, Naruto put his points together in his head, deciding his target practice was probably a 23. That led him to a total of 57 points, just under the passing amount. Everyone needed a 60 to pass, something Naruto could get easily on this last test. Well, as long as ninjutsu was judged fairly.

"Man that was so easy!' Kiba came from the exam room grinning, a new hiate-ate tied to his forehead. Naruto gave him a celebratory high five, watching as the canine duo left the building. If the classes' dead last had passed, than Naruto should have no problem.

Slowly, the numbers diminished, and soon, Sasuke was called in. Of course, he returned mere moments later, smug grin on his face and headband in hand. Now, Naruto was the only one left. Hesitantly, he walked into the exam room, grimacing slightly. Not all the instructors in the room were very fair to him, but at least Iruka was there to back him up.

"Uzumaki Naruto." The head instructor called blandly, turning the teen's attention towards him. "Please show your proficiency at the Henge no Jutsu." Nodding, Naruto complied, turning into an exact copy of the man before him. The others looked it over, grudgingly deciding it to be passable.

"Kawarmi, next." Quickly, Naruto released the henge, before switching himself with a pre-set log. "And lastly, the Bunshin." The instructor finished, yawning slightly. Instead of forming the jutsu, the teen simply fidgeted in place, causing the instructor to scowl.

"Ah, you see, I can't do that one." Naruto finally admitted, ignoring the peals of laughter from the teachers. The head instructor simply raised an eyebrow.

"At least try, kid. Come on, I want to go home." Hesitantly, Naruto went through the hand seals, grimacing at the result. Two 'clones' sat on either side of him, if they could even be called that. The one on the left was much paler than it should have been, and the one on the right couldn't even stand properly. The blond felt his face heat up, ignoring the new round of laughter.

"Whatever. Kid, that leaves you with a score of 73. Grab your headband and go." Protests rang through the room, complaining that someone who couldn't even do a bunshin was allowed to pass. On the other hand, Naruto was thanking whatever kami was watching that he had gotten a fair score. Walking to the head desk, he blushed slightly at Iruka's proud expression. Finally deciding on the dark blue hiate-ate, he picked it up, feeling the cool metal in his hand. Bowing to the room's inhabitants, Naruto almost skipped outside, only pausing to tie the headband to his forehead. As he left, he missed the flash of anger on Mizuki's face, too happy at the prospect of passing

Outside, the others sat waiting, talking about something or another. Naruto ran towards them, grinning and gesturing to the blue material.

"Alright! That's everybody!" Kiba cheered, Akamaru barking in excitement.

"Troublesome as it is, I guess." Shikamaru added, slouched over as normal. Shino and Sasuke simply nodded in agreement. Chouji simply smiled, watching as Kiba suddenly brightened again.

"Hey! Mom said you guys should come over to celebrate before the team assignments at the end of the week. You guys in?"

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"-of course, that's why Mom never challenged your Dad again, Shika. She was embarrassed for weeks!" Kiba exclaimed, causing the room's inhabitants to laugh, even Shino and Sasuke giving a small chuckle. Hours later, the six boys sat in one of the larger rooms in the Inuzuka compound, all laughing about various things.

"I remember that. Dad was smirking for weeks." Shikamaru added, grinning slightly, picking up a snack from one of the various bowls lying around. All of them had changed out of their ninja gear, simply lying around in civilian clothes. And yet, Shino still had his coat, covering his face. Though, Naruto respected that, seeing as he still wore a long sleeve turtle neck to cover his seals.

"-the kid has been here the entire time, I assure you. It wasn't him!"

"I'm not saying it was, Tsume, but we have to be careful."

The new Genin looked at the door in surprise, watching as the clan heads strolled through the doorway, various expressions on their faces. Tsume looked angry, and none of the others looked too happy either.

"Dad? What's going on?" Shikamaru asked, watching as his father scowled. Inoichi, on the other hand, walked to the Genin, grabbing Naruto by the hair, pulling him up. He ignored the looks of shock, staring Naruto dead in the yes, before releasing him, ignoring the protests.

"Yeah, it's him." Inoichi clarified, causing Tsume to sigh in gratitude.

"I told you! He's a good kid; he wouldn't do something like that."

"Tsume, that still leaves the matter at hand." Chouza, ever the peacemaker, brought the group back to the task at hand.

"Dad, what did Naruto do?" Chouji asked his father. The adults looked at each other for a moment, before Shibi began to speak.

"An artifact was stolen from the Hokage Tower this evening, and many reported Uzumaki to have been the thief."

"Which is bull crap, seeing as the kid was here the whole time. I've known him for years, I would have noticed if something was up!" The Inuzuka matriarch stated triumphantly, but Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Why would they frame Naruto? He's just a new Genin." Once again, the room fell into an uncomfortable silence, Naruto looking at the adults, his eyes pleading. He didn't want them to know about his wings, or his past for that matter. He had worked so hard to make friends; he didn't want them to see him as a freak.

"We believe it was one of the instructors at the Academy." Hiashi finally said, staring at Naruto coolly. "He could have picked anyone, but an orphan with no clan, one who has never stood out too much would not be noticed as much as a clan child." Naruto sent the man a thankful look, one which was pointedly ignored.

"Mom, there's a Chuunin here to see you!" Hana, Kiba's older sister poked her head in the doorway for a moment, a Chuunin following in after her. He simply handed the Inuzuka matriarch a not, before leaving again. Tsume scanned it quickly, before crumpling it up and grunting, looking back at the other clan heads.

"Hokage-Sama wants us back in the council room. And you" She said pointing at Naruto. "Need to meet him in his office. That Chuunin should be waiting at the door for you." Naruto shot the other Genin an apologetic smile, following the adults out to the front door.

The clan heads simply used a shunshin to get back to the council, but Naruto and the Chuunin would have to walk instead. It was around 8 in the evening, and most civilians were either back in their homes, or in bars on the other side of town. The two ninja simply walked in comfortable silence, enjoying the cool night air.

"Hey, Hachi! You're needed for something in the missions office!" Neither had noticed Mizuki run up towards them, laid back attitude as always. The Chuunin, whom Naruto now knew as Hachi, lit up with recognition.

"Oh, thanks! But, I gotta get this kid to the Hokage first." The sliver haired man simply brushed him off, smile on his face.

"Hey, no worries. I'll get it done." Hachi shot Mizuki another thankful smile, and ran off, leaving just Naruto and the Academy instructor. The two continued on in the same silence, before Mizuki spun around.

"Hey, you want to just shunshin there? It would be faster." Seeing no reason not to, Naruto nodded, Mizuki putting on hand on his shoulder and forming the jutsu. And yet…

When Naruto opened his eyes, they weren't in the Hokage Tower. They weren't even in the village anymore. Instead, they stood in a clearing, one that was almost nothing but darkness due to the tree canopy overhead and the hour it was.

"Mizuki-Sensei, what's-"The blond was cut off, dodging a large shuriken, watching as it hit the tree behind him. Naruto looked back in shock at Mizuki, the teacher already equipped with another of the large weapons, a sinister grin on his face.

"Sorry, Naruto. But you see, our _master_ wants you back." The teen watched in horror as black marks began to spread across the teacher's face, similar to those on a tiger. His muscles grew at an alarming rate, replacing Mizuki's once skinny form. His shirt began to rip, and then Naruto noticed it; on his left arm, a red mark now glowed, illuminating the small clearing. Naruto could feel his neck began to itch from the close proximity, and saw Mizuki's smile grew.

"You weren't the only one that was marked, demon. Now, then, you can come quietly, or taste just what a real Otogakure Shinobi can do!"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Thanks for all faves, follows and reviews. You guys really brighten my day!**

**Also, I haven't seen the fillers about Mizuki in a long time, so I'm going based off knowledge from the Naruto Wiki, and other sites. I know it's a bit different, but with Naruto passing, I needed a different way for him to learn about his tenant.**

**Bai!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here you guys go, and thank you for the wait!**

-o-

DISCALIMER

I don't own Naruto or Maximum Ride, just my ideas.

-o-

With a look of shock, Naruto sprung backwards, dodging Mizuki as well as he could. The sensei was obviously enraged, the curse seal twisting his mind as well as giving him a couple new power-ups. With an animalistic roar, the white-haired man lunged again, his now sharpened claws griping the front of Naruto's shirt. Desperately the blond clawed, but it did nothing.

"It's a shame I can't kill you." Mizuki slurred slightly, his canines glinting in the low lighting. "You'd be worth much more dead."

Fear started to settle in, and Naruto began to consider his options. The blond knew exactly what happened to his ex-sensei from his time in the labs. The more he used the seal, the less control he would have, and the more Orochimaru would gain. It was perfect for creating an army of followers, if only it didn't have such a high fatality rate. Mizuki seemed to be one of the few unlucky ones to survive the process, and still seemed to be mostly in control.

With a sharp kick, Naruto broke free of Mizuki's grasp, the Chunin clutching his jaw with a growl. Each seal had a weakness, and Naruto didn't have much time to figure his out. With a howl, Mizuki was back to lunging, any sense of rationality thrown out the window.

As he dodged, Naruto made mental notes of how the fight was playing out. Mizuki seemed to be having fun, like an animal stalking prey it knew could not win. His strength was definitely improved, a fact proved by the bruises forming on Naruto's torso. But, if anything, the blond had the upper hand when it came to speed. Naruto wasn't the fastest of Genin, but he could run, and he knew how to hide. He just had to pray Mizuki's senses hadn't been enhanced as well. And so, with a duck out of the clearing, he began to run.

The trees whipped past his face and arms, but he didn't care. Mizuki was directly on his trail, and was gaining speed. If not for the drawbacks on the seal, Naruto wouldn't stand a chance. Then again, he didn't stand much of one now. Naruto could feel his legs starting to complain, so he pumped more chakra in them, urging them to go faster.

"You can't hide forever, you little shit!" Mizuki was absolutely right of course, but Naruto wouldn't let him know that. Fighting him was close to suicide, unless Naruto used _it; _but that was out of the question. So, ducking quickly under a clump of branches he ran through a set of familiar seals, eh whispered harshly.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Three identical blonds now sat under the three branches, each breathing as heavily as the original was. "You," Naruto pointed to the first clone. "Need to get back to Konoha as quickly as possible. Tell the Hokage we need help, now!" With a salute, the clone took of in the direction of Konoha, leaving Naruto with just two duplicates. Sure, he could spam the Mizuki with thousands of clones for a while, but there was no guarantee his chakra would go that far, and Naruto still didn't know the full effects of the curse seal.

"Come on now, why do you want to stay in this hell hole anyway! After all they've done to you!" Naruto heard Mizuki's animalistic growls cut though the air again, causing him to wince. And yet, he was intrigued. Konoha had done nothing but save him, rather than his first 'home', if it could even be called that. Naruto sent the two clones to pursue the man, or at least to amuse him for a bit.

And, as quickly as he had sent them out, they were gone. Mizuki cut through them like butter, Naruto wincing at the two sets of memories. The first clone had been kicked into a tree, the other getting a good hit in before having its throat cut by Mizuki's claws. It seemed the longer Naruto drew this out, the less human Mizuki was, and the more animal he became. Quickly, he spammed the man with more clones, creating as big as a diversion as possible. The itch on his neck was like wildfire now, begging to be used.

"Come one, don't you want to know why Orochimaru-sama picked someone as lowly as you, demon? Don't you want to know what Konoha has been hiding?" Honestly, it was something he had always wondered. The Hokage had always answered him with a shrug and a sad look of his face, nothing more. Deciding to humor the Mizuki, the teen let him continue. "They've been using you all along! Orochimaru-sama has been doing you a favor. Your life would have been horrible in Konoha, you pathetic demon!"

All the clones paused mid-step, the ex-sensei's last words ringing in his mind. It had been a long time since anyone had called him that, back from when he had just come to Konoha. Yet, he figured it was a result of where he came from. Orochimaru wasn't a nice man, after all. The half second gave Mizuki an opening, finally finding the real Naruto. The blond didn't have time to react, sharp claws now digging into his throat and drawing blood, a knee crushing his stomach and his ribs. Blood began to dribble down Naruto's chin, causing him to cough. Mizuki simply grinned in satisfaction.

"The truth is, you're nothing but a-"

"Dead man."

A team of ANBU dropped into the clearing, Mizuki turning around and snarling. For Naruto, the world was beginning to go hazy around the edges, the white masks only barely visible. He felt Mizuki letting him go, and he coughed up blood onto the dirt and grass. One particular ANBU dropped next to him, grabbing him around the waist gingerly. The last thing Naruto saw was the dog mask, and the howls of frustration from Mizuki.

-o-

When Naruto came to, he found himself in a situation scarily familiar to the one from four years ago. The teen waited until a nurse realized he was awake before calming down, the memories of his 'fight' with Mizuki still fresh in his mind. Honestly though, it was more pathetic than anything. Sure, Mizuki was a Chunin and an Orochimaru powered one at that, but it had been completely one sided. He felt better, at least. His side was no longer screaming in pain, and his curse mark had settled down. All of his seals for his wings still worked as well.

After a couple moments of waiting, the Hokage poked his head in the doorway with his kind smile, taking a seat at the end of Naruto's bed. "Quite a close call there, Naruto." The old man seemed completely unfazed at the fact the teen almost died, but Naruto bit his tongue, letting the Hokage continue. "Still, you did admirably well against Mizuki. His curse mark was a bit of a surprise, though. Do you think you could enlighten me on that?"

Scowling, Naruto ran through his memories. The curse mark reacted differently to whomever it was placed on, causing different results. Of course, DNA and chemicals could be used to make certain alterations, such as the one Mizuki had. If the blond remembered right, that particular curse seal had been in the animal branch.

"It was the Animal Curse Seal. I believe it was infused with tiger DNA, kinda like mine was infused with bird. Though it made him powerful, he was much slower. If it hadn't been for that drawback, I would have been a goner." Naruto admitted sheepishly, causing the aging Hokage to nod.

"Still, sending a clone back to Konoha was the smartest thing to do besides stalling for time. The Chunin Mizuki tricked helped in the efforts as well. I suppose that jutsu I taught you came in handy." Naruto nodded happily, thinking back to the Shadow Clone Jutsu. It was highly advanced, but due to the teen's reserves he had little to no problems. Both the Hokage and Naruto were just grateful that Jiraiya had pointed it out when he had come to do Naruto's yearly checkup. Speaking of the sage...

"Old Man, is it my turn yet?" Jiraiya's voice whined from the other side of the door, causing the Hokage to chuckle and welcome him in. Naruto had always had an odd sort of relationship with the man, as Jiraiya checked up on Naruto's seals yearly. If anything were to happen to any of them, the results could be disastrous.

Jiraiya started with the seals on the teen's back, running quick scanning jutsu over them. He hummed appreciatively every once in a while, making small talk with the blond. "So, I heard you got your ass kicked last night."

"Yeah, because you would have done _so_ much better."

"I would have, and still had time to check on some ladies."

"Perv."

The Hokage chuckled at the friendly banter, watching as his student started looking at the curse seal. "Kid, did you do something different to this? You haven't activated it, right?" Jiraiya asked worriedly. He could feel the ominous chakra buzzing around it.

Naruto simply shook his head. "No, it happens when I get too close to someone with their curse seal activated when mine isn't. It was like that when I was still in, ya know. It starts to get agitated, almost hurting." Jiraiya and the Hokage looked slightly troubled at the fact, but said nothing. Naruto had been holding back against the curse seal for four years now, and had no desire to use it. As long as the person's will against the seal was strong enough, it couldn't do a thing to them. Both Naruto and special Jonin Anko were prime examples of this fact.

"Well, you check up fine, brat." Jiraiya seemed to be finished, the Hokage giving him a thankful smile. Naruto, on the other hand, seemed to be staring into space slightly. The blond looked troubled, unlike his normal cheery disposition. "Something up kid?"

He pursed his lips for a few more moments, before sighing. "It's just, Mizuki kept calling me a demon, and I thought it was just because I used to be with the snake, and..." He fell silent at the shocked faces of Jiraiya and the Hokage, huffing. "Sorry, never mind, it's stupid."

"Naruto, did anyone else ever call you that?" The Third asked, fiercer than Naruto had ever seen him. The teen gave a slow nod, not really understanding where the conversation was going. The two older men in the room shared a glance, before Jiraiya began to speak.

"Kid, did you ever wonder why you were picked for Orochimaru's experiments?" OF course he had, multiple times. Naruto gave him a nod. "No normal human would have survived the process of combining DNA. I'm not even sure how he did it, but only someone like you could have survived."

"Someone like me?" Naruto echoed the sage's words, Jiraiya nodding grimly.

"Yes, someone who contains something tethering them to earth, so to say. When a normal person's body should have shut down, yours worked even harder, doing everything to stay alive. This wasn't because of you, but because of what is inside of you."

"And that is? Why am I so special; am I a demon?" Naruto asked hurriedly, the Hokage shaking his head fiercely.

"No, never think that Naruto. Though, to be honest, you are heading in the right direction. People such as you, those who contain demons, are known as Jinchuuriki." The blond looked shaken at that revelation, but it did make sense. "This is the reason I, and ANBU Dog, knew who you were. The Fourth Hokage sealed the Kyuubi no Yoko into you, with the intent you be kept safe until you knew how to use its power properly. As you can see, we messed up in that aspect." Te Hokage seemed to be finished, turning to Jiraiya.

"Kid, you will never be the demon, unless you let yourself be. Now, I don't know much about the Kyuubi, but I think we can leave it alone for now."

"Who knows about the Kyuubi?" Naruto finally asked, blowing strands of hair away from his face resignedly. The Hokage looked pained.

"Everyone except your age group."

"WHAT?"

"Kid, we thought they would obey what the Fourth asked of them." Jiraiya played the voice of reason for once, calming down the blond teen. "But, they did the exact opposite. You can see that they have calmed down in the past years, but things have always been quite rocky on the matter of Kyuubi. Brighten up, though. You have plenty of people that care about you."

Naruto supposed that was true. This was honestly a lot to take in, and not at all what he had been expecting. So, not only was he a mutant, but a demon-infested one at that. "Is there any good to this?" He asked, painful expression still marring his features. The older men simply shrugged.

"Depends on how you make it kid. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some research to do!" Naruto choose to ignore the man's lecherous expression, still mulling over the new details.

"I'm afraid I must be going to, Naruto. I seem to have too much paperwork these days than what I can handle. Also, report to the Academy tomorrow morning for you Genin team. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised." The aging Hokage picked up his hat with one hand, setting it on his head. With a wave he was gone as well, leaving Naruto alone to his thoughts. He could see it now, 'Uzumaki Naruto, Ex-Experiment and Demon Container for Hokage'.

Yeah. _Great._

-o-

**Now, I understand that Mizuki's abilities are different the Canon, but hey, whatever. Hope you al enjoyed.**

**Thanks for all faves, reviews, views, and follows!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks you all so much for the positive feedback! Now, my Sakura in this story is quite different. I have an explanation for this at the bottom, but you all are free to skip over it. Its kinda long, after all. Sorry about that.**

**Thanks again for all the reviews, faves, follows and views!**

-o-

DISCLAIMER

I don't own Naruto, but I do own his wings! Those would be cool to have, right?

-o-

The newly dubbed Team Seven was still waiting in the Academy, despite the fact it had been two hours ago when the teams had been called. A beautiful red eyed woman had picked up a stoic Shino, excited Kiba, and surprised Hinata first, and a cheerful Chouji, grumbling Shikamaru and whining Ino had been picked up by a smoking Sarutobi. The other teams came and went, soon leaving just Team Seven to wait.

Sakura had started flipping through the Academy textbooks aimlessly, making sure she had everything memorized. Sasuke chose to simply stare out the window, instead of actually communicating with his teammates. Poor Naruto was simply left to his own devices, filled with a foreboding feeling of what was to come. Finally, once Sakura was done with textbook and Naruto had fallen asleep, their sensei arrived, an orange book in hand and gravity-defying silver hair poking up in all directions. His one visible eye studied each student for a moment, finally resting on the one that was still asleep.

"Well, aren't we a lively bunch!" He sounded so cheerful, the two awake Genin almost wanted to gag.

"_You're_ our sensei?" Sakura questioned, noticing the R-18 tag on the back of the book. The man simply smiled, or, what they thought was a smile. His eye was the only thing that gave away any of his emotions.

"Yup! Meet me on the roof, alright? And wake up your teammate; it's rude to keep your new sensei waiting." With that, he was gone in a swirl of leaves, Sakura growling, one of Sasuke's eyes twitching. The Uchiha rose form his seat, wandering over to the sleeping blond, before kicking him a couple times. A blue eye drowsily opened, looking at Sasuke in confusion.

"All right, come on Sasuke-kun, Naruto!" Sakura said, using as much enthusiasm as she could muster. The Uchiha simply hn'ed, leaving the pinkette to pull the still drowsy blond up the stairwell.

-o-

"Now that everyone is here, how about we introduce ourselves? Name, likes, dislikes, and dreams! You first, bed head." The man pointed a finger at the still drowsy Naruto, watching as he yawned and rubbed his eyes. He almost felt sorry for the boy, seeing what had happened to him the day before. Almost.

"Okay then. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I like ramen, birds, and my family. I dislike foxes and snakes, and my dream is to become Hokage, and help my siblings!" Sakura and Sasuke both stared at him in confusion, but their sensei perfectly understood what he meant.

"Dobe, you don't have family." Sasuke clarified, watching as the blond shook his head.

"Teme, family doesn't have to be by blood." Naruto chimed. Their sensei nodded, pointing to Sakura.

"You next, Pinky."

Sakura chose to ignore the nickname for the time being. "My name is Haruno Sakura, and I like...um...yeah. I dislike Ino pig, and my dream is to..." The majority of Sakura's speech was filled with blushes and mumbles, none of the males really having understood what she meant.

"That's nice, I think... And you, Mr. Mysterious!"

"Hn. I am Uchiha Sasuke. I like tomatoes, and I dislike people. My dream... is to kill a certain man." Naruto made no comment, seeing as his dream was just as odd, but Sakura swooned, hearts in her eyes. Their sensei said nothing, simply gazing at the raven with a critical eye.

"Well then! My name is Hatake Kakashi. I have many likes, I dislike many things as well, and my dream? Well, you'll just have to see about that one!" Three glares settled on him, and he turned away sheepishly.

'_**All we learned was his name!'**_

"Now then! You all seem to be wonderful people, but you aren't quiet Genin yet. You have one more test left!" Inwardly Sakura cheered for having re-skimmed the textbook. Sasuke simply narrowed his eyes, and Naruto stiffened at the last part. "Meet me at the bridge to Training Ground Seven tomorrow at 8:00. Come prepared, and you might not wanna eat breakfast. Bye!" With that Kakashi was gone, leaving three equally confused Genin.

"Well, okay then. Sasuke-kun, do you want to-"

"No."

"I think lunch is a great idea, Sakura! How about we go to Ichiraku's?"

-o-

Sasuke had to be physically dragged to lunch in the end, but Naruto thought it was worth it. The next morning, Team Seven all sat patiently at the bridge, each of them having gotten there on time. But, it was going to be ten soon, and their sensei was no where in sight. Sakura could hear her stomach growling, and immediately regretted not eating anything. Her daily intake of food was already small enough; she didn't need to lose another meal.

Sasuke simply sat brooding as normal, obsidian eyes narrowed dangerously. Naruto, on the other hand, was bored. Immensely so, and he decided something had to be done about it. Hopping up, he spared a glance to his teammates. "I'm gonna go find sensei." Naruto heard Sakura's indignant shout, but didn't stay long enough to hear what she said. It only took a few minutes to find Kakashi, having come and fetched him before. "Inu, come on. It's been almost two hours!"

Kakashi was, as normal, perched in front of the memorial stone. He spared Naruto a quick glance, before turning back to the rock, running his calloused fingers over it. "Really? I hadn't noticed."

"You're so weird, you know that?"

"Maybe." A few minutes of silence passed, Naruto waiting for the man to finish his conversations. He had seen the man here numerous times before, and understood what he was doing. Talking to his dead comrades was, in a way, like therapy for the broken Hatake. So, Naruto let him be, but refused to let Kakashi become obsessed with it.

"You know, you promised to take me flying today."

"Did I? Well, you'll have to pass the test first, I suppose. Then we'll see if I remember." With that, he stood back up to his full height, retrieving his book from his back pocket. He supposed he had let his Genin stew for long enough. Kakashi walked him back, ignoring his other student's surprised looks.

"Sorry guys! I met some old friends earlier and the time got away from me." Neither Sakura nor Sasuke believed him, both doing their best to glare the man to death. Naruto simply laughed, watching as Kakashi pointedly ignored them. "Now, let's get started with this test, hm?" Kakashi pulled to silver bells from his pocket, dangling them in front of their faces. "You all will need to get these bells from me by Noon today, but there's a catch." Each of his student's eyes widened in surprise, before settling in determination. "There are only two bells, so someone must fail. The loser will be tied to one of these stumps, and sent back to the academy. I bid you all luck, and time starts, hm, about now!"

Each Genin jumped back into the trees, leaving just Kakashi and his book. Inwardly, the man chuckled.

'_This is gonna be fun.'_

-o-

Sakura was pretty sure something here was wrong. Her first instinct was to go find Sasuke-kun and get the bells with him, but then she felt bad. Naruto wasn't her favorite person, but he wasn't a bad guy. Not as good as Sasuke-kun, but no one could beat him, after all.

And so, she found herself thinking back on her reading from yesterday. If there was one thing that the Konoha Academy textbook stressed more than the Shinobi code, it was teamwork. Now all that was left was to find her teammates, and get them to help. Creeping closer to the trees, she watched as Naruto engaged their teacher. The man was wickedly talented, matching all of the blonds' strikes, with book in hand. Finally, he had him in a bind, catching Naruto in a trap. She couldn't hear what Kakashi said to him, but the silver haired man was gone with a quick shunshin, leaving Naruto hanging upside down by himself. Sakura took her chance, running into the clearing, kunai in hand. The blond stared at her in surprise, having been reaching for a kunai himself.

"Sakura, what are you doing? Why are you helping me?" He said, more confused than angry.

"We've got it wrong! We're supposed to be using teamwork!" Naruto grunted as he fell to the ground, staring at the pinkette for a moment. "He's a Jonin, right? There should be no way to get the bells, but if we work together…" Sakura explained, reaching out a hand.

Naruto blinked in surprise, before grinning. "That sounds just like him! Okay, now we just have to get Sasuke, and we'll be good!" He brushed off his pants, listening closely. "He only used taijutsu on me, but I have no idea what-"Both Genin's eyes widened as a large fireball streaked past, slamming into a tree. By the time they got to the source, the only thing visible was a head.

At which Sakura screamed.

"Sakura, calm down!" Naruto hissed, trying not to laugh. Never had he seen the Uchiha in such an embarrassing position.

"Dobe, what the hell, get me out!" Sasuke growled, causing Naruto to laugh even harder. And then get pummeled by Sakura.

"Naruto, help me get Sasuke-kun!" It took a bit of digging, but soon the Uchiha was in much better condition than he had formerly been. Naruto stood awkwardly as Sakura fussed, complaining about his clothes and hair.

"Uh, Sakura?"

"What?!"

"Kakashi-sensei, remember?"

The pinkette stopped in her fussing, turning back to Sasuke with wide eyes. "Sasuke-kun, you have to help us defeat Kakashi-sensei! See, he's been trying-"

"No."

"Why not?" Sakura asked, staring at him in surprise.

"I don't need either of you to defeat him. It's not my fault you two are weak." The raven growled, yanking his arm from Sakura's grasp.

"Oi, Teme! This isn't about being weak!" Sasuke still choose not to listen, giving them both a cold glare, before running off into the trees. Sakura stood, doing her best to not look disappointed.

"What the hell! We only want to help, that asshole."

"Don't call him that! I'm sure he has a reason, Naruto..." Sakura tried to reason, but she wasn't convincing anyone, not even herself. Naruto just gave her an odd look, before shrugging.

"Whatever. Well, let's just hope we can save his sorry ass." A smack to the head was the only answer he received in return, before they both chased after Sasuke.

-o-

"You didn't learn the first time, Sasuke? I thought I spelled it our pretty clear." Kakashi commented, never looking up from his book. The Uchiha simply growled.

"That was just a fluke. I'm winning that bell, I don't care what it takes!" the raven almost snarled the words, causing Kakashi to raise an eyebrow.

"Really? You know, you might have a better chance if you helped the others." The sensei remarked, watching Sasuke get even angrier. Of course, he already knew what the raven was going to say, but he figured he could play with the boy for a while.

"I have to do his alone, I'll never ask for anyone's help again!" Seeing he had touched a sore spot, Kakashi effortlessly dodged a stream of kunai, eyes never leaving his book. Sasuke didn't seem very keen on making any of the mistakes he did the time before, sending another fireball while Kakashi was distracted. Of course, a quick Kawarmi saved his hair from being singed. Deciding a game of cat and not so-defenseless mouse was in order, Kakashi ducked into the trees, listening as Sasuke followed.

"Sasuke-kun, hey, over here!" Sasuke heard Sakura again, and turned towards her annoyed, wondering why she was being so persistent. "Let me help you, please!"

"I already said no! What use would you even serve, Sakura?" He replied harshly, watching as she never even missed a beat.

"Of course I'm useful! I can act as a distraction as you go for the bells, and then we'll both graduate!" The raven paused for a moment, before hiding his scowl.

"Get in the way, and what happens has nothing to do with me."Popping his stoic mask back into place, he sped after his sensei again, not checking to see if the pink and red eyesore had decided to follow. But, she had, doing her best to keep up with Sasuke. When they finally found Kakashi, he was where they had originally found him. He still held his book in hand, but was perched upon the middle stump.

The older man gave them both the smallest hint of recognition, but was inwardly focusing on them carefully. He was slightly surprised that Sasuke had been willing to cooperate with someone, and was wary of Sakura. Something seemed off about her, and there was still Naruto to worry about, of course.

The pinkette charged first, kunai in hand, and made a swipe for Kakashi. He dodged effortlessly, watching as she dodged back and let Sasuke have a turn. The two Genin switched back and forth with their Taijutsu for a bit, Sasuke's much better than Sakura's. Yet, her stance was much more refined and tuned, something that come from hours upon hours of practicing a stance. Finally, Kakashi was just up against Sasuke, Sakura disappearing into the trees again. It was getting a bit harder, having to dodge the raven's Taijutsu as well as a volley of kunai and shuriken from Sakura. But, he wasn't a Jonin for nothing. He was surprised, however, when a fallen kunai transformed into Sakura, her nimble fingers grazing the two bells.

And then the clock struck noon.

All action stopped and the ringing of the bell and a shout of indignation could be heard from the trees. Sasuke was terribly confused, having no idea where Sakura was coming from. Sakura herself looked disappointed, and Naruto ran out from the foliage sulking. Kakashi studied everything for a second, before his eyes widened.

"Sakura was never here." He clarified, looking at Naruto and the pinkette. "Naruto was under a henge, and one of the kunai was Sakura under a henge. While Sasuke and Naruto distracted me, Sakura waited patiently for her chance. One that she timed perfectly, by the way." Naruto nodded happily, and Sakura blushed from the praise. Sasuke simply stood flabbergasted, looking between his fellow Genin. They had used him, and he didn't even notice.

"But" Kakashi concluded, his voice taking on a more somber tone. "You all still failed to get a bell. Sakura was the closest, having touched it, so I'll give her another chance. But, for the boys, you know what that means!"

The next thing they knew, both boys had been tied to a stump, wiggling uncomfortably. Sasuke was brooding like normal, glaring at anything that even dared to exist. Naruto simply choose to sulk, cursing Inu. Sakura stood in between them both, shifting awkwardly. When Kakashi returned, it was with a bento in hand. He eye-smiled at Sakura, before handing it to her and smiling at the other Genin.

"Now, since Naruto and Sakura came up with such an excellent plan, I'll be giving you cute little Genin another chance!" All three brightened at this, staring at their sensei intently. "Sakura is the only one to get lunch, and if I find out she shared, well, that won't end well for anyone. You have fifteen minutes, okay? Bye!" Kakashi was gone again with a shunshin, leaving nothing but a swirl of wind and leaves behind. Sakura awkwardly opened the bento, staring at the contents for a few minutes, and closing it.

"Eh, Sakura? Why aren't you eating?" Naruto asked, staring at the girl in confusion. If there was one thing the Uzumaki learned from his harsh childhood, it was to not waste what little food you had. She simply pursed her lips, turning the food away.

"It's not fair."

"What?"

"Hn?"

"I sad it's not fair." Sakura repeated, glancing between the two boys and sighing. "You guys are my teammates now, right? Why should I get to eat and you don't?" Neither knew what to say to that.

"You should eat, you know." Sasuke spoke to her for the first time that day with no malice in his voice. "If at least one of us is at full strength, it'll be better than nothing."

"Yeah, Sakura! Don't waste Kakashi-sense's present!" Naruto encouraged, squirming in his binds as well as he could. Before Sakura could reply however, Kakashi was back, looking over them all with a critical eye. His eye narrowed on the untouched food.

"Not to your liking, Sakura? How do you plan to fight me on an empty stomach?" Sakura stared at him determinedly.

"The boys are doing it, so why can't I? We suffer as a team, sensei." Kakashi almost looked like he was going to reprimand them, but his tone soon changed.

"You all...pass. Congratulations, Team Seven."

-o-

"So, where are we going today Inu?"

"Hm, the Forest of Death should be empty today, well, except for Anko. But she's fine." It was about four in the afternoon now, and just about everyone was returning to their homes. Thankfully, it allowed the two Shinobi to sneak to the dangerous training ground with little problem. Kakashi was really the only one with clearance, but his Jonin rank got them both through the gates.

A few minutes of running and they reached the center, at which stood one of the tallest trees in Konoha. It had stood since the Shodaime's reign, and had been created with his Mokuton abilities. Kakashi was able to use his chakra to walk to the top, but Naruto had to stick to climbing the old fashioned way. When he reached the final branch, he put his hands together in the bird seal. The blond could feel his wings form behind him, and gave them a few experimental folds. Their blue, black and white feathers were as shiny as always, and Naruto waited till Kakashi gave the signal.

And then took off, and flew.

-o-

**Now, here is the rant warning. For anyone that does not wish to read, wait till the text turns back into bold. **

Now! Please don't harp on me for this, but I don't like Sakura. I never have, and I doubt I ever will. I think the main reason behind this fact is her unlocked potential. This also might have to do with personal opinions on this type of thing, but hey.

I will never say that Sakura isn't talented, but the girl was literally a walking ball of potential. She's intelligent, thoughtful, and his excellent chakra control to boot! So, instead of allowing her to be something great, Kishimoto created a whiny fan girl who threw everything away for a boy. Now, there is nothing wrong with liking someone, but the level Sakura took it to was downright disturbing and excessive sometimes. She lashed out at anyone who ever dared to say Sasuke's name in the wrong tone of voice, let alone say something bad about him.

That's why my Sakura is different. As a girl who was known for her book smarts, and as Konoha was known for pushing teamwork down everyone's throats, wouldn't she have remembered her textbook? Teamwork is something that they were taught from day one, and someone as smart as she is should have picked up on the meaning of Kakashi's test. My main goal with Sakura in this story is to use her full potential, something I feel Kishimoto waited far too long to do. Sakura is there to say that an ordinary person can be someone special, it just takes hard work. Something the girl did not do until she was 13, and while it isn't just her fault, she could have done so much better.

Mary Sure or not, she has the ability to be someone great.

**Alright! Sorry about that, but I felt I should explain my reasoning. I'll see you all next time!**

**Bye!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again! **

**Now, I am praying none of you all have a problem with this chapter. I ended up skipping the mission to wave and everything else that happened in those six months completely. Why, you ask? Well mainly because, as fanfiction writers and readers, we have all seen hundreds of almost identical missions to Wave, complete with Tazuna, Zabuza, Haku, and Gato. Frankly, I'm somewhat sick of it. I understand its purpose, but we all know the story. So, I'm going to be briefly touching on it, and then be done with it. **

**This chapter will actually start the Chunin exams. We have the test with Ibiki, which I hope is different enough to keep you reading. **

**Also, thanks for all of the reviews and follows! I really appreciate it all.**

-o-

DISCLAIMER

I don't own Naruto, but I can own his wings, right? Right?

-o-

After six months of being a Genin, Naruto was starting to believe it was way more trouble than it was worth. Currently, he was walking beside Sakura and Sasuke through the busy streets of Konoha, ones that seemed far more populated than normal. Sakura had stated it was due to the Chunin exams, and once he started looking, he noticed the multiple different headbands that stood out among the crowd. Sasuke had responded with his usual 'Hn', but showed no real care for it either way. Neither of the males had been talking too much, letting Sakura ramble enough for both of them. The whole morning she had been ranting about a surprise of some sort due to the week off from the Chunin exams. They had planned to train, but both had learned just how hard Sakura hit after a few good smacks to the head.

When the pinkette finally did stop, it was to one of the more secluded training grounds. It wasn't really great for actually training, but it did make a great socializing spot. Which Sakura seemed to have done.

Both Teams Eight and Ten were already sitting in the soft grass, and both Sakura and Naruto gave the other Genin cheerful hellos. Sasuke simply nodded his head to them, flinching slightly as Ino latched to his arm. Naruto found himself sitting between Kiba and Shikamaru, while a poor Sasuke had been squished between Ino and Sakura. The other boys stared at him apologetically, before Kiba turned to Naruto.

"So, you got roped into this too? Hina wouldn't tell us where we were going"

"Because I doubt you would have followed, had I did." The Hyuuga heiress replied coolly, looking at the Inuzuka with disinterest. She was calmly petting a snoring Akamaru with Shino to her left, who was ignoring the other two kunoichi. "The main reason I agreed was to asses the other Genin skills, with the Chunin exam coming up soon. It would be wise to see where we all stand." The mention of the exam perked everyone's interest, Sakura seeing this as the perfect chance to one up Ino.

"We took an A Rank, you know. We'll do fine." Ino, as well as the other teams stared at her in shock.

"You're joking, right?" Chouji questioned, a chip held to his mouth. Naruto sighed.

"We did, but it was an accident. It all started with this bridge builder..." Naruto retold the tale of Wave, leaving out some of the more... personal parts. Sakura and Sasuke added bits and pieces every once in a while, listening to their teammate instead. Of course, they had been there as well, but not from his point of view. Sasuke proudly flashed his Sharingan at the appropriate time, and Naruto wrapped it all to a close. "-so, at the end, the bridge was put up. No idea what they named it though..." He mused, watching the other Genin's reactions.

Kiba, Ino, and Chouji all seemed shocked. Hinata and Shino stayed neutral, and Shikamaru looked to be contemplating. It was quite obvious Team Seven had improved by leaps and bounds compared to when they first started, unlike the other teams. Sure, they had things to show from their hard work, but not nearly as much as Team Seven did. Sasuke seemed to have mellowed out a bit, Sakura seemed a bit more serious (when she wasn't competing with Ino...), and Naruto had seemed to calm down a bit.

For the first time, the Genin realized each other to be competition, rather than classmates. While they could laugh and have fun now, a few days from now they could be trying to kill each other. A silence fell over the group as they wondered just how far they would go to get their promotion. At this point, none really knew.

"This is troublesome." Shikamaru finally muttered, causing all sets of eyes to turn to him. Finally, he group laughed, even Shino and Sasuke chuckling slightly. They would reach that bridge when they got to it, they supposed. But for now, they would enjoy their last few days of peace.

-o-

"I can't believe Orochimaru-sama wanted us to tail some stupid little kids!"

"Don't question Orochimaru-sama! He is far better than you, and I'm sure he has some reason behind this."

"_Really_. Like what?"

"Both of you, quiet."

The arguing teens quieted at the sound of their leader's voice, following as he headed away from the trees. It didn't seem like the targets in question were anything special, but orders were orders.

"You know," The lone female said. "That kid looked kinda familiar, now that I think about it. The blond one." Both gave her odd looks, but she just shrugged. "Whatever. I guess it's just me."

"It doesn't matter who he is, Kin. We're gonna squish him either way." The one she had been arguing with stated, shrugging.

"Whatever Zaku. Do you recognize him, Dosu?" The leader of the three said nothing, simply continuing to walk through Konoha's busy streets. They didn't need to know who he was, not now at least. Things would just get much more difficult than they needed to be.

-o-

A few days later, Naruto rolled out of bed, yawning and stretching his arms. The days off for the Chunin exams had been spent training and relaxing, and had let him sleep in for the first time in a while. Speaking of the exams...

"Wait, its today!"

By the time he got to the Academy, both of his Teammates had already arrived. Sakura gave him the best glare she could muster, but Sasuke didn't seem to care either way. "Naruto..."

"Sorry Sakura, really! I'm here now, right? He heh..." She simply glared at him for a few more moments, before rubbing her hands on her temples. Both followed as Sasuke lead them through the halls wordlessly, never changing expressions. Neither of his teammates seemed worried, but Naruto had been on edge ever since they entered the building. He didn't know what, but something was...off.

The first obstacle was easily passed, Sakura's Genjutsu training spotting the illusion easily. They snuck to the correct room, only to be interrupted by an odd, green wearing Genin. Sakura later swore his eyebrows were moving, but only after his sensei had whisked him out of earshot. It was only when they entered the real room that Naruto was overcome by an even greater sense of dread. His teammates gave him odd looks, but he only shook his head, acting like nothing had happened.

As they conversed with the others of his age group, the blond could feel someone staring at him. When he turned around, he was met with another Konoha Genin. This one was much older then he, but gave Naruto a kind smile, his eyes lighting up from behind his large black glasses. The other Konoha teams turned as well, and the newcomer appeared bashful.

"Ah, sorry. I just wanted to see if any of you all wanted some tips. Name's Yakushi Kabuto." He held out a gloved hand, one that Naruto shook uncertainly in his own. While the others seemed to have no problems asking about various Genin, the blond swore something was off. When the Sound Genin attacked, however, he knew exactly what was bothering him. He knew the Sound Nin.

Well, not all of them, but Kabuto and the three that attacked him definitely stood out. And then, time seemed to stop as a flurry of white smoke came from the center of the room, a bear of a man standing in their place. His eyes roamed the room slightly, settling on the mess the Sound Nin were causing.

"Quiet, all of you! In your seats or you can leave this room right now." Everyone scurried quickly, and Naruto gave a less than confident grin to the Hyuuga heiress that sat next to him. "My name is Morino Ibiki, and I'm your examiner for the first stage of this Chunin Exam." Oh yeah, Naruto knew this man too.

_*Flashback*_

_The day he had gotten out of the hospital, The Dog masked ANBU had given him his first tour of Konoha. Naruto had never seen anything like it; heck, he rarely saw sunlight and grass back where he came from. He felt it was one of the things that made Konoha so amazing. After a while, Dog had said they had one last person to talk to, and if Naruto passed the test, he could stay in Konoha. The tiny blond had no problems, and eagerly awaited the challenge._

_What he didn't expect was to be lead to a dark room. There was only two chairs, and the atmosphere reminded the child a little too much of the examination rooms they would use for testing back at the lab. Dog wasn't allowed to come with him, and as one of the only people he trusted so far, he wished he was here. He only had his new clothes to hang onto for comfort._

_Finally, the only door (which was painted the same dark color to blend into the wall) opened, and a new figure joined him. The man was large, with burly shoulders and a gruff looking face covered in scars. Naruto had seen people like this before, and was reminded slightly of a bear. The man stared for a moment, in which Naruto squirmed in his seat awkwardly._

"_So," He began, his gruff voice startling the blond. "This can be easy, or this can be hard. Tell me what I need to know, and we'll get along fine. Or, we can do something a little more painful. Your choice, boy." Naruto nodded quickly and the man pulled out a notepad and a pen. "Alright, Name."_

"_Um, Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto, I think."_

"_Age?"_

"_I-I don't know..."_

_The questions continued for a while, and Naruto found himself getting scared. The man kept asking questions about the lab, and about the people there, and the doctors and the tests. He asked about his wings, about his life, and about the people he cared about. Some of the things Naruto could answer, but many he couldn't. The man finally asked one more question._

"_Why do you wish to serve Konoha?" Blue blinked for a moment, and Naruto stared down at his lap._

"_I-I want to save my siblings. And help the people that saved me." He could feel the man's eye burrowing into him for a moment, before watching as he stood._

"_Stand up and follow me." Doing as he was told, hey left the dark room for an equally darker hallway. Doors lined the walls, and scream could be heard echoing around the walls. Naruto could feel his legs shaking, the screams reminding him of the testing labs. Except, when he had to go there, his own screams were the ones he normally heard. The door at the very end was opened, revealing where they had come from in the first place. Dog had been slouched against the door, but stood at attention as it opened. Naruto was grateful to be at his side again, clutching to his legs like a lifeline. "Your kid is fine, and I'll have my report to Hokage-sama at the end of the day."_

_With that, the man was gone. The door was once again shut, eth screams were gone, and the blond could finally relax. "Who...who was that?" Naruto finally whispered, causing Dog to laugh and ruffle his hair._

"_Oh, him? You just met Konoha's top interrogator, Morino Ibiki."_

"_What's an interi- thingy?"_

*Flashback End*

Naruto swore the man locked eyes with him for a minute, but it was gone just as soon as he saw it. "Now, you maggots think you're ready to become Chunin?" A silence rang around the room, and Ibiki smirked even wider. "We'll see about that." Along with everyone else, Naruto listened attentively as he described the first test, one that the blond was cursing. He hasted written tests of any kind, well, maybe unless it was about ramen. But still. He supposed it granted him with the perfect opportunity though.

Many of the Genin teams were gone immediately, but the rest were given paper and pencils to write down their answers. As time was started, Naruto immediately began to write. He could feel Hinata watching him with curiosity, and he knew her eyes had widened. Maybe he could explain later, but now wasn't the time. As he finished, he raised his hand slightly, watching Ibiki grin.

"What, you want out too, kid? I thought you were stronger than that."

"I just wanted to know if you could grade my test. I finished, and I don't really feel like waiting till the 10th question. Someone could cheat off of me, after all." Silence rang through the room, and Ibiki wondered if the kid had actually figured it out, or just had uncanny luck. Slowly, the scarred man made his way to the blonds' seat, eyes scanning over what had been written there. He then crumpled it up and put it in his pocket, looking at Naruto with a sharp eye. Ibiki remained motionless for a few moments, before sighing deeply.

"You can figure it out your score later. Everyone else, back to work!" Pencils began to write once more, and Naruto buried his face in his arms, wondering if the interrogator took him seriously; he dearly hoped so. Soon, time was up and Ibiki stood once more, giving them the rule of the Tenth question. Even more dropped out, but Naruto and the rest of the Rookies remained, as well as the Sound teams. After a few minutes, Ibiki finally laughed, startling everyone in the room.

"You all pass. The real question behind the test was to-"He would have finished, had I not been for the banner that suddenly appeared in front of him. A cracking sound was heard, and suddenly a new figure stood in front of them. This one was a female, and her odd choice of attire caused many of both genders to blush. Deep violet hair was spiked oddly, and she wore a trench coat and... Well, almost just a trench coat. The sign behind her introduced her as Mitarashi Anko, which was then pulled back by Ibiki. He growled slightly. "Anko..."

"Hey, Ibiki!" She replied cheerfully, clapping her hands together. "You left me so many playthings this year, getting soft?"

"You're early." His words didn't seem to faze her, and she shook them off.

"Whatever, you big softie. Who cares about that, I mean really. So, you all ready to go?" Many of the Genin's faces now held looks of terror, and many looked ready to sprint.

"Actually Anko," Ibiki interrupted her once more, coughing slightly. "We're going to have to postpone your test until tomorrow." Her eyes blinked in anger for a few moments.

"Hey, what's the big idea? There is no way we're stopping-"

"Just think of it this way; you now have time to add some more animals. Just, do whatever." Anko pouted for a few more moments, before giving the Genin her best grin and jumping out the window she had broken in the first place. "Now then. All of you meet back here at eight sharp tomorrow morning, got it?" Most nodded fearfully, and Naruto silently prayed in his head. "Also, Uzumaki! You're coming with me."

-o-

**So Naruto is in trouble it seems, Ibiki is still intimidating, and Anko is only a little crazy.**

**All is right with the world.**

**See you next time, and thanks for all the reviews, faves, views and follows. Bye!**


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